Former New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks made a trip to Yankee Stadium as a member of the Baltimore Orioles this week. Hicks struggled mightily in 2023 before the Yankees let him go. Yankee fans weren’t all that thrilled to see their former outfielder pay them a visit to the Bronx on the 4th of July.
Fans booed Hicks in his first plate appearance of the day. The boos and the response were so visceral that Yankee commentator Michael Kay even chimed in. Kay defended Hicks and his work ethic as a Yankee and said he didn’t think he earned them because he never dogged it.
"Y'know, you can almost understand, Paul, the vitriol if he dogged it. I don't think he ever dogged it. He just couldn't make it work here. … I think he was always accountable and tried. But the fans didn't like what they saw."
Were Yankee fans right to boo Aaron Hicks? pic.twitter.com/woclwpewZc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 4, 2023
In the fifth inning, with the Orioles still training 3-0, Hicks stepped to the plate again. The switch-hitting outfielder heard the boo birds out and delivered the perfect response to them.
Hicks swung at a Clarke Schmidt pitch and sent it over the fence in right field, hitting a home run in his former yard.
Naturally…
In his next at-bat, Aaron Hicks homered to unanimous disapproval.
"Yeah, take that" – Jim Palmer
"Revenge is a dish best served OUT of pinstripes" – Kevin Brown pic.twitter.com/5KFRsE2sEo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 4, 2023
Based on their call of the homer, Orioles commentators Kevin Brown and Jim Palmer both sounded excited for Hicks.
Booing Aaron Hicks wasn’t surprising behavior by Yankee fans as much as it was probably corny. It’s not like he did anything bad as a member of the team. Yeah, he didn’t live up to expectations. But why is he the target of your frustration? And even if you claim it’s toward somebody else, the player is still going to hear it.
